Ujjwal K Chowdhury

“The walls around my home are only 20 centimeters thick, but they keep out an entire world.” These are the words of a leprosy-affected individual, languishing in one of the 700+ so-called ‘leprosy colonies’ of India, which are inhabited largely by the cured but still stigmatized people. For centuries, leprosy was a feared disease. A malady with no remedy. An ailment that disfigured hands, feet and face, and scarred the mind. The affected were ousted from their homes, banished from their communities and estranged from society. In the 1980s, largely due to the generous contributions and concerted efforts of Yohei ...